The first sports watch from the traditionally conservative brand, the Lange Odysseus has grown from underdog to show-stopper in less than 18 months. So, what makes this sports watch so special? Let's try and find out
A Quick Run-down On A. Lange & Söhne
Before exploring the Odysseus, I feel compelled to share a bit of Lange's history with you to try and explain just how incredible it is that we have Lange around in the modern era of watchmaking.
Today associated with the very best of the best, it is often forgotten that Lange has undergone one of the most tumultuous histories out of any high-end watchmaker. While the brands rivalling Lange's much-deserved prestige didn't always have easy rides either, Lange was nearly sent away into the history books forever, so let's just say that we're fortunate to have them around today.
It all started in 1845 when Ferdinand Adolf Lange founded his own watchmaking business in Germany's watchmaking capital, Glashütte. By focusing on producing some of the finest watches in the world, Lange quickly grew and became synonymous with luxurious design and impeccable German engineering, both tenets that the brand still lives by today. From the first World War until World War II, Lange experienced a particularly turbulent few decades that resulted in their nationalisation in 1948, alongside several other German brands. Eventually, in 1951, several more brands were rolled into this company, and the Lange brand fell into complete obsolescence until nearly four decades later.
Following the reunification of Germany, Walter Lange and Günter Blümlein re-established Walter's family business on Lange's 145th anniversary in 1990. With only "the vision of the best watches in the world" to their name, they set out with the task of bringing A. Lange & Söhne back from the dead. Within a few years, Lange released their first batch of watches that blew everyone's expectations out of the water, named thanks to their in-house chronograph movement, the calibre L951.1 – widely recognised as one of the world's finest chronograph movements ever. With this level of prestige, Lange continued to churn out marvel after mechanical marvel while simultaneously ignoring what everyone else was doing, until 2019 – the year it all changed.
The Odysseus is Introduced
Launched in late 2019, the Odysseus was quite a theatrical release, given Lange's strict adherence to their traditional roots. Released as their first-ever stainless steel sports watch, the Odysseus was treated initially to quite an unnecessary level of disdain. While I won't pretend that I immediately loved the Odysseus – although I do now – the Odysseus always felt unequivocally Lange, even in its stainless steel form, and that is saying a lot for a brand's first-ever anything. Considering Lange had never ventured ever remotely close to what the Odysseus was trying to achieve, it must be said that the Odysseus didn't feel like Lange was following the market, more so designing something they wanted to create.
The White Gold Odysseus Causes a Splash
Following the stainless steel model, the white gold Odysseus variant was launched in March of 2020 to quite a positive reaction. More so in keeping with Lange's roots, this model was, of course, made of precious metal and was supplied on either a brown leather or a black rubber strap – it was only fair to let the white gold variant introduce another first for the brand after all.
Ditching the almost-entirely brushed integrated bracelet, the white gold Odysseus compounded upon the Odysseus' already text-book Lange sense of design by retaining the brand's conservative and classical sense of style while maintaining the Odysseus' core wearability, utility and sense of robustness. A far cry from anything close to fragile like a dress watch, the white gold Odysseus has pushed the entire collection forward with quite a convincing argument.
Before I delve into its movement and design, I would like to mention that the Odysseus was quite controversial upon its release, and its design was far from an immediate hit. While some brands would double down on their design and release a complicated version of their new stainless steel watch, say with a GMT or Chronograph, Lange's introduction of the white gold variant was perfect. It doubled down on the Odysseus as an offering while subtly changing its design and altering the conversation in their favour. No longer was its bracelet an issue; instead, it was just a new precious metal sports watch from Lange & Söhne that continued the Odysseus' unequivocally Lange design. So without further ado, let's explore that very design.
The Devil is in the Details
Like anything from the upper echelons of an industry, a Lange & Söhne timepiece features several distinct qualities that ring true with most other timepieces, and the Odysseus is no different. Beginning with the white gold variant's beautiful grey dial, we have Lange's signature arched branding, Lange's iconic handset, a seconds sub-dial at 6 o'clock and the most important thing of all, Lange's legendary outsize date and day display at 3 and 9 o'clock respectively.
Operated via integrated pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock and inspired by the Five-Minute Clock in the Dresden Semper Opera House, Lange created a date and day aperture roughly three times larger than those in similarly sized watches. While Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, the Dresden Court Clockmaker, was commissioned to create a viewable clock for people in the back of the opera, his design also works well for a sports watch given that legibility is so pertinent to its ethos.
Building upon the Odysseus' general legibility, it also features a silver rehaut where every 5th minute is clearly marked. Compounding upon the Odysseus' unapologetically "Lange" design, the dial also features radial embossing in both the seconds sub-dial and the minute track, which is also raised from the centre of the dial, a classic piece of Lange design. A small but present detail, Lange are clearly aware of the flairs that make their watches feel like theirs.
The Movement
Beyond the fact that the Odysseus is an entirely new silhouette for Lange, the Odysseus also has a unique movement, unlike anything Lange has ever had to design before. Given that it's a sports watch from the ground up, its movement needed to be tailor-made too. Starting in 2015, the Odysseus' cal. L155.1 Datomatic took a mere four years of R&D to perfect. To put that into context, so did Lange's calibre L951.1 movement – arguably one of the finest chronograph movements ever created. While it might look like a lot of Lange's other movements, the cal. L155.1 Datomatic is far from what they usually produce.
In most automatic Lange movements, you will find that the winding rotor is made of 22kt gold; in contrast, the Odysseus' cal. L155.1 Datomatic features a winding rotor made of a nonferrous alloy composed of copper and nickel – called ARCAP – plated in black rhodium. In addition to that, the Odysseus' balance assembly is unlike anything Lange has ever produced.
Featuring an enlarged balance wheel with a faster oscillation rate (28,800 beats per hour, as opposed to their conventional 21,600) for greater accuracy, the Odysseus also finds itself with a beautifully engraved balance bridge, which provides the balance assembly with greater stability and resistance to shocks than their typical balance cocks. Balance cocks attach the balance assembly to one point on the movement, but the balance bridge spans across it with two anchor points.
Quick Take
Perhaps easier to grow fond of than its stainless steel sibling, the decision to release a white gold variant on straps has been a critical factor in this model's ever-growing popularity. Without the likelihood of those uninspiring complaints, the Odysseus has settled in and become integrated within Lange's offerings. Designed for the Lange collector that wants a watch for any occasion, they have drowned out the noise of the masses and made something brilliant.
Specifications
A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus
Reference number: 363.038 (leather), 363.068 (rubber)
Case size: 40.5mm
Thickness: 11.1mm
Material: White gold
Crystal: Scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal
Water-resistance: 12 bar/120 metres/400 feet
Movement: L155.1 Datomatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds sub-dial, Big day and date display
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 bph
Power reserve: 50 hours
Strap: Black rubber or Brown leather
Availability: Regular Production
For further information, visit A. Lange & Söhne online.
This piece is available on Wristcheck.
